Asthma can be a very hard to live with. It diminishes your capacity for normal activities, such as going for a short walk. Read this to learn how to handle your asthma.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. Being aware of your specific condition will help you combat the effects it has over your body day in and day out. If people who have asthma suffer attacks triggered by exercise, they should bring an inhaler with them when they work out. When you know what triggers your asthma, you will be more prepared to stop attacks before they begin.
This includes all tobacco products, with special attention to factories that might provide exposure to smoke and vapors.
If you find that you are in a dusty room, do not put on any type of fan. While it may seem smart to get the air circulating, in reality this will only stir up the dust, making it easier to inhale and trigger an attack. Open some windows if you want fresh air.
A great idea to help your child with asthma is to make sure you never smoke around them. Secondhand smoke is known to be a cigarette. You also make sure that your child does not get exposed to other environments where people might be smoking.
If your asthma attacks are severe, you may want to speak with your doctor about a long lasting injection of medication to control your symptoms. Omalizumab is one such medication, and can control the allergic symptoms you may be experienced. An allergist will be able to tell you if this is a good option.
If you are suffering from a moderate or mild attack, expel all the air from your lungs. Breathe out quick and hard. Try to force the air out from your lungs! Inhale for three quick breaths, followed by a deeper one, and then force the air out again. This method forces you to pay careful attention to your breathing and create a steady rhythm. It will also expels air from your lungs so more can come in. You might cough or produce sputum, since your main objective is getting you to breathe normally again.
Unscented products are best for asthma sufferers. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, fill the air with irritants that can trigger an asthma attack. In addition, paint that is fresh or carpet that is new release odors that can cause breathing irritations that lead to an asthma attack. Try to maintain fresh air inside your home.
Omalizumab is an antibody medication that is used to control allergic reaction symptoms.
If you are asthmatic, it may be a good idea to use a pillow that is not filled with feathers. Feather can decrease lung function and trigger asthma symptoms. This also goes for bedding; use sheets, comforters and blankets that are crafted from hypoallergenic materials.
It is critical that every asthma sufferer have access to the proper medicines to keep the condition under control, and a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic for you that offers medications at a much cheaper price.
You should always have your rescue medication with you when you are traveling. Traveling tends to put extra stain on the body, and you’re more susceptible to your asthma triggers under these conditions. It is also difficult to control your environment while traveling, making it more likely that you may experience an attack or worsening symptoms.
Make sure that all members of your family get their annual flu vaccination yearly. This means that you should take all standard precautions to avoid illness, like hand washing, getting vaccinated and avoiding those who are sick.
During the months that are colder, wear a shawl, muffler or scarf that will cover your nose and mouth to help you avoid asthma attacks. Proper winter wear can keep cold air from agitating your lungs. Cold air can be a nuisance and breathing it has actually proven to trigger asthma attacks. This is especially true for younger children who have severe or moderate asthma.
A dehumidifier is an excellent investment for anyone with asthma. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, a prime trigger of asthma. Dehumidifiers reduce attacks in your home by making the humidity out.
Asthma typically develops over a long time, and sometimes the symptoms aren’t very obvious. In fact, some people who didn’t even realize they had asthma died as a result of their initial attack. Discuss with your doctor if you are having problems trying to catch your breath or have had a persistent cough for a while. There is the possibility that you have developed asthma, and if so, your doctor can tell you what the best method to treat it would be.
People suffering from asthma should avoid using scented household products. Products with fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, can pollute the air triggering your asthma. Fresh paint and new carpeting give off odors that can irritate the airway. Try to maintain fresh air in your home.
Inhalers are important to use every day, but be aware that inhalers have been known to cause infections near the teeth and gums. One way to reduce the probability of such infections is to immediately brush and gargle after inhaling the medicine.
To lower the chances of an asthma attack, keep your house extra clean, especially the bedroom. Keep food in a kitchen or on the dining room table, and never allow anyone to smoke in the house.
Avoiding smoke is key in controlling asthma. Smoke can trigger an asthma attack. Avoid triggers like vapors, chemical fumes, and cigarette smoke as much as you can. They can easily increase your asthma symptoms. Ask any smokers not to smoke in your presence.
You may have to take more asthma treatments if you suffer from hay fever or a cold. Many illnesses will worsen your asthma symptoms bad enough to require more treatments than you typically need. Your doctor may even recommend that you take additional treatment until the illness gets better.
Asthma sufferers should avoid close contact with all animals. Some asthma sufferers are allergic to animal fur or dander on top of their asthma, but even those who don’t have such an allergy can bring on an attack if they breathe in too much of these irritants.
Prevent those flu infections from occurring by going to get vaccinated each year.
Allergens, dust, pollen and other things that can aggravate your asthma tend to collect inside bed linens. To reduce the chance that your bed linens will induce an asthma attack, wash your sheets every week in hot water. Fresh linens, washed regularly, can ensure you breathe better as you sleep.
Mold and mildew grow in homes with high humidity levels. These substances can easily trigger asthma attacks very easily. You should therefore try to keep your best to maintain a dry home. During winter, use a dehumidifier if necessary to control humidity while running your heater, and an air conditioner during the summer will help keep your home dry.
During spring or other high-pollen times, don’t go outside unless you have to so that you can avoid a pollen-triggered asthma attack. Even though asthma is not technically an allergy, those who suffer from allergies often find their condition is exacerbated by the same irritants and triggers that those afflicted with asthma are affected by as well. The air quality information should be used to find out when it is better to stay indoors to avoid irritants present in the air.
During colder months, wear a shawl, shawl or muffler that covers the mouth and nose. This allows you to warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Breathing in air that’s cold can trigger an attack, especially in younger children with moderate to severe asthma.
If you’re finding that you need to use your inhaler 3 or more times a week, it’s best to talk to your doctor about switching medications. Increased reliance on your inhaler may be an indication that the medication is no longer working well enough. It also isn’t working right if you’re having to refill the inhaler more than two times a year.
Asthma is a medical condition that tends to slowly develop over time, but instead takes time to develop and the symptoms are slowly noticeable. There are actually many people that have passed away from an asthma attack without ever knowing they had asthma. So, if you have difficulty breathing or a cough that doesn’t go away, you should see a doctor to see if you might have asthma and determine whether you may need medication to either prevent or treat asthma.
Check in with your doctor regularly to ensure that you are maintaining your asthma condition correctly and successfully. This person needs to have the ability to look at your current situation so that they can make any changes as necessary. Although your doctor is there to help you stay healthy and manage your asthma, your health is your responsibility. Make and keep regular doctor’s appointments so that you can keep asthma under control.
If you are flying with your asthma medications, particularly if you plan on bringing a nebulizer or other large equipment, especially if you will be taking large equipment like a nebulizer. Having written documentation supporting this medically necessary item will make the security check point.
The best way to avoid having an asthma attack is to know what your trigger are. Consider keeping a journal to help you identify possible asthma triggers and discuss the results with your doctor. By identifying the causes of your asthma symptoms, you can then work to eliminate these triggers from your life completely.
Asthma sufferers should avoid close contact with both domestic and farm animals.
Over time you should work to strengthen your body and increase the capacity of your lungs. Never tempt an attack by starting a grueling workout when you know you cannot finish it because of asthma.
Bed linens often trap allergens, dust, all of which can further aggravate asthma. You can reduce or eliminate these by washing your sheets and other linens in very hot water each week.
There should be absolutely no smoking around family members with asthma. People can smoke outside or as far away from the person with asthma as possible. Heavy smokers may trigger an asthma attack just by carrying the scent of smoke on their clothing.
People who suffer from asthma should stay indoors as much as they can when the pollen count is up. Even though asthma is not considered to be an allergy, those who suffer from allergies often find their condition is exacerbated by the same irritants and triggers that those afflicted with asthma are affected by as well.
A home that is clean and dry will reduce the frequency of your asthma attacks. You can manage the moisture level in your home by regularly running a dehumidifier. Maintenance of steady humidity levels throughout your home cuts down on the seasonal attacks you might suffer.
Having support from other people in the same situation as you is imperative.
If your child is under age five and has asthma, know the warning signs that could require an emergency room visit. Signs include: gasping, sucking in of the abdomen while attempting to breathe and speaking difficulty resulting from the inability to breathe in enough air. If you see any of these symptoms, your child is in need of immediate medical care.
Mold Spores
If you have asthma and use your rescue inhaler often, as in more than one or two times a week, or you wake up in the night from an asthma attack more than twice a week, you might need different asthma medication. Consult your physician for additional information.
Asthma is sometimes caused by genetics, genetics or other health issues. If your family has a history of asthma, keep watch for any asthma symptoms in your children or yourself. Environmental conditions like mold spores, smoke, mold spores and excess dust can cause asthma, so protect yourself and your kids from these hazards.
When managing asthma attacks, it is important to construct an effective management plan for dealing with an attack once it begins. If you are prepared for an asthma attack, it will be easier to treat it.
Never tempt an asthma attack by starting a workout when you aren’t sure if you will be able to complete it because of your asthma.
For sufferers of asthma, always keep a clean home environment, allowing for good health. Giving your carpets and rugs a vacuum regularly is an important component of home allergen control. Ideally an asthma sufferer will have a central vacuum system in their home to move the allergens directly from inside to outside, bypassing bags or canisters.
Open a window or a door every day to freshen up the air can flow through your breathe. Insulated homes have much higher allergen levels of allergens than homes that are well-ventilated. Ventilation is a good clean the air.
Looking into your asthma and figuring out what triggers it, is key to alleviating any asthma symptoms you have. For some, pet dander or dust might cause an asthma flare up. When you fully comprehend what sets off your attacks, you will be able to steer clear of those things.
Always carry your emergency inhaler within reach in a handy location if you suffer from asthma – this is vitally important. The medicine in your inhaler can keep you from having a more severe attack.
A great way to reduce asthma symptoms in the home is by using a dehumidifier. This will help keep the air dry in your home. Having a humid and wet home can cause an attack. Thus, having a dehumidifier present in your home can alleviate or prevent some of your asthma symptoms.
It is important to take this severe medical condition seriously. Take all appropriate measures to prevent and reduce symptoms, while also seeking professional help if the condition becomes out of control. Use the advice you have read from this article to manage your symptoms of asthma and take back control over your life.
